Separating machine



Oct. 18, 1949. c. E. BARBEE ET AL 2,485,027

SEPARATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS CHARLES E. BARBEE WILI QRD P BERGGREN M X ZORNEY Oct. 18, 194-9. c, BARBEE T 2,435,027 SEPARATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CHARLEJ E. BARBEE WILbRD I? BERGGREN M ATTORNEY GMX limited success.

Patented Oct. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT iFlC'E .SEPARATIN G MACHINE Charles E. Barbee, Davis, and Willard P. Berggren, Azusa, :Calif assignors .to The Regents of the University of California, Berkeley, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 17, 1945, Serial No. 622,712

of thecharacter described which is of inexpensive construction, and readily portable.

The invention possesses other valuable features, some of which -.with .the foregoing will .be

set forth .at length in the following description where that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawings accom- 'panying and forming a .part'of the present specification is explained. In said drawings, one form of the invention is shown, .but it is to be understood that it is not limited to that form, since the invention as set forth .in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of .forms.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing our separating machine. The motor and driving connections are omitted. Figure 2 is a, fragmentary view in vertical section,

showing the comb end of the plate 29. Figure 3 is .a vertical sectional view of the carriage and tracks on which it runs. The plane of section is indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 4. Figure 4 is an elevation partly in vertical section taken longitudinally of the machine. section is between the center of the machine and the side nearest the observer. Figures'5, 6 and f7 are similar to Figure 4, but are largely diagrammatical in treatment, omitting many details. Taken with Figure 4, showing similar parts they show our machine in successive stages of operation.

Beans in various Varieties constitute an important field crop; and marketable grades are determined 'by the amount and character of the foreign materials in the product. This foreign .material, which it seems impossible to prevent getting mixed with the beans during harvesting,

includes small adobe or clay clods, small clumps 'of ordinary dirt, splits, and similar undesirable bodies. No top grading can be given to beans including such foreign materials, and their presence therefore imposes a lower grading and inflicts a direct loss on the grower.

Various machines and methods have been used in attempts to solve this problem, but with only To remove clods by screening alone involves a considerable loss of the smaller beans, and often fails to reduce the dirt content suflicientl-y. With a combination :of tough adobe The plane of .heavy beans.

clods and fragile varieties of beans, rubber rolls to crush the clods cannot be used without excessive breakage of beans. Separation by methods making use of the difference in specific gravity between beans and foreign .bodies fails with Many varieties of beans have ten- ,der skins and are sensitive to moisture, which precludes washing or spraying.

.Our approach to the problem an attempt to utilize the varying degree of resistance of the .mixed bodies to movement, which arises from :several characteristics which differentiate more or less markedly 'beans and the foreign bodies with which they are commonly mixed when brought in from the field. These characteristics which are-of chief importance are regularity of shape and smoothness of surface. Weight and size of the body also have an influence insofar as "they affect response to shape and surface. Each of these qualities can be used to affect the degree of resistance to movement offered by the body; and therefore in terms of broad inclusion, our invention comprises means upon which the mixed bodies of beans and foreign objects are dropped, together with other means in the operation of which each body is constrained to move from the position in which it lies. Its response to the moving force determines its ultimate posi tion, and efiects the separation or sorting of the bodies.

In terms of greater detail our separator comprises a frame upon and within which the operating parts are assembled. Main longitudinal elements in the frame are angle bars I and 2 set with edges up as shown to serve as tracks, and supported on short legs 3 at each end. The

track bars are held spaced apart a suitable distance and in parallelism by end pieces 4 and 5, the several-parts being preferably welded together to ,provide a rigid and strong frame.

The rear track bar I, as viewed in Figure 4 is preferably extended beyond bar 2 (to the left of Figure 4) to serve as a support for the driving mechanism, although such mechanism could of course be independently mounted.

Arranged on the tracks to roll back and forth thereon is ,a carriage generally designated b the character I. The carriage is connected by pitman rod 8 to a crank 9, fixed on shaft Ill, journaled in suitable bearings l2. fixed on the frame I. The shaft is rotated at low speed, say 36 R. P. M. by any suitable means, such as a motor l3, connected to it through suitable reduction gears. In a test machine, .a 5," throw for the crank and of travel for the reciprocated carriage was satisfactory.

Fixed on the track bars on each side are standards I4 supporting side walls [6 between which is a feeder roll ll, fixed on shaft l8, journaled in suitable bearings fixed on the side walls. The roll is rotated by a chain [9 running over the same size sprockets fixed respectively on crank shaft l0 and roll shaft I8. The roll is provided with a longitudinally extending charging slot 2|. Means are provided for filling the charging slot with the mixture of bodies to be separated or sorted. Arranged between and supported by the side walls are plates 22 and 23 forming with the side walls a hopper into which the unseparated beans from the field are dumped.

A resilient bristle brush 24 forms the lower part of the plate 22, the bristles extending close to the roller and retaining the beans in the hopper while permitting beans in the slot which project beyond the roller surface to pass as the roller turns.

Below the feeder roll and between it and the carriage is a chute formed by the plates 26 and 21, bent to provide a wide upper entrance portion as shown and held between the side walls IS. The lower portion of the chute is closed in front (toward the crank) with a resilient bristle brush 28, the bristles of Which extend to the upper surface of the carriage as it moves back and forth on the track. The rear portion of the chute is closed by a scraper plate 29 the lower edge of which is formed with comb teeth 3|, Figure 2. Preferably this plate is made of Lucite or other transparent plastic to facilitate visual inspection of the chute. The bottom of the chute is formed by the plate 32 pivoted on the shaft 33, journaled in suitable bearings disposed on the side walls. One end of the shaft is provided with a fixed collar having a radial arm 34 on one side connected by a spring 36 to the frame; and also a cam lug 31 opposite the arm. The cam lug is arranged to be pushed over to rock the shaft and lower the normally closed gate, by the wiper cam 38, fixed on the feeder roll shaft l8 and operating once during each revolution of the feeder roll. When the gate falls, the mixed bodies previously dropped into the chute, fall upon the front end of the carriage. A deflector plate 39 prevents bodies lodging behind the gate.

Means are provided on the carriage for applying to the varying bodies thereon a moving pressure the effect of which varies with the characteristics of the body. The carriage comprises a pair of side bars 4| held rigidly together in parallelism by a flanged bed plate 42. Extending upwardly and outwardly from each side bar are guard or deflector plates 43 to prevent spilling of bodies over the sides of the carriage.

Arranged on the bed plate over its Whole area except for a short space at its front end (left of Figure 4) is a toothed surface structure with the teeth M inclined or pointed toward the front of the carriage. This surface structure may be made in any convenient manner. Pieces 45 of a 5-point band saw blade, separated by narrower spacer strips 46 to leave the teeth exposed are satisfactory. Blades and spacers are assembled closely on the bed plate and held rigidly by long slender rivets 47 passing through them, the guard plates and side bars, as best shown in Figure 3.

Axle studs :38 fixed 0n the outer faces of the side bars provide mountings for the flanged wheels 49 on which the carriage rolls on the tracks. The front end of the carriage ahead of 4 the toothed surface is filled to provide a groove surface 5| lying in the same plane as the points of the teeth, the grooves 52 being in continuation of the spaces between the toothed blades.

5 The grooved surface constitutes the loading end of the carriage on which the bodies to be separated or sorted are dropped, from the chute. Preferably it is made of a single block 53, in the upper surface of which grooves are provided in register with and matching the assembled toothed blades and spacer strips.

The carriage and scraper plate are so arranged with the teeth of the scraper extending into the grooves as shown in Figure 2, that the entire surface of the carriage including the grooves is swept clean as the carriage moves back and forth below the chute. A satisfactory carriage for a small machine may present a surface area of about 8 x 8 inches, in which the grooves are about deep and .08 wide. The loading area may be about 2 long and the full width of the carriage. A deflector plate 56 fixed to the carriage at each end helps the deposit of the separated bodies on opposite sides of the partition wall 51 secured under the frame.

With the motor running, a quantity of mixed bodies, such as beans and clods of adobe, is dumped in the hopper. The rotation of the feeder roll I! in the direction of the arrow carries the charging slot 2| across the bottom of the hopper, filling it with the mixture.-

As the slot passes under the brush as indicated in Figure 6 the fibers swing to one side to permit passage of bodies caught in the slot but projecting beyond the surface of the roll. At this point, the carriage has just completed its forward movement (to the left of Figure 6) and is about to start back. The gate 32 is closed and remains so while the mixed bodies are dropping into the chute during the return movement of the carriage to the end of its travel at which point all parts are in the positions shown in Figure 4.

As the forward movement of the carriage presents the grooved surface 5! of the loading end of the carriage under the chute, the wiper cam 38 engages the cam lug 31 for a short period to lower the gate 32 and permit the contents of the chute to fall upon the carriage loading end. After the wiper passes, the spring 36 closes the gate.

Now occurs the differential effect of the forces applied by the moving toothed surface of the carriage and resisted by the resilient bristles of the brush 28 against which the mixed bodies are swept. The first effect of the brush is to sweep the bodies off of the grooved surface 5|, and seatter them over the toothed surface. Because of the smooth surface and regular form of the beans, and also because they are generally lighter or 60 larger than the clods, they are not caught by the teeth and therefore accumulate against the brush, see Figure 5, until at the end of the stroke they are swept over the rear of the carriage and deflector 56 as shown in Figure 6, to fall to the right of the partition 51 and into a suitable container 6| or other means for handling. The clods however being of irregular contour and rough surface, and generally heavier or smaller are caught by the teeth, and carried past the brush,

remaining on the toothed surface duringv this movement or stroke of the carriage.

As the carriage moves again through the return stroke, the clods accumulate against the brush as shown in Figure 7. Since the teeth are moving away from the direction in which they point,

there is very little tendency to carry the clods along with them; and at the end of the stroke they are swept over the front end of the carriage to fall to the left of the partition 51.

During the return stroke of the carriage, rotation of the feeder roll has deposited in the hopper a measured quantity of mixed beans and clods, and the parts are now again as shown in Figure 4; having completed one cycle of movement in which the beans were discharged at the end of the forward stroke of the carriage, and the clods at the end of the return stroke.

We claim:

1. A separator for separating foreign matter from beans comprising a carriage, a brush, and means to deposit a mixture of foreign matter and beans to be separated upon said carriage; said carriage being movable in a substantially horizontal plane and having an upper surface provided with means directed toward one end of the carriage for exerting upon said foreign matter an influence to move with the carriage in one direction while said means permit beans to remain against the bristles of said brush as the carriage moves in said direction whereby a group of beans is collected on one side of the brush and another group of said foreign matter passes through the brush, the length of said carriage being shorter than the stroke of movement of said carriage whereby at the end of the forward movement of said carriage said beans are swept 01f of the rear end of said carriage and at the end of the backward movement of said carriage said foreign matter is swept off of the front end ofsaid carriage and means beneath the brush and below the upper surface of the carriage for maintaining the separation of the separated materials.

2. A separator comprising a carriage, a brush, and means to deposit a mixture of bodies of different surface and shape to be separated upon said carriage; said carriage being movable in a substantially horizontal plane and having an upper surface provided with forwardly inclined teeth, said brush being stationarily mounted above said upper surface so that the bristles thereof sweep said surface as said carriage moves, the length of said carriage being shorter than the stroke of movement of said carriage whereby on the forward movement of said carriage bodies of one description are swept off of said carriage by the brush and deposited on one side of said carriage, and on the backward movement of the carriage, the bodies first carried under the brush are swept 01f of said carriage by the brush and deposited on the other side of said carriage, and means beneath the brush and below the upper surface of the carriage for maintaining the separation of the separated materials.

3. A separator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said upper surface of the carriage is also provided with a grooved surface located forwardly of said teeth, and a vertically disposed scraper plate having scraper teeth in its lower edge adapted to enter the grooves of said grooved surface.

4. A separator as set forth in claim 2 wherein said teeth are formed in spaced vertically disposed blades.

5. In a separator, a carriage having a horizontally disposed top surface including forwardly inclined teeth, a brush of resilient bristles rigidly fixed above the carriage and closely adjacent thereto, means for moving the carriage forwardly and backwardly to position the toothed top alternately on opposite sides of the brush, and means for depositing a mixture of different bodies to be separated upon the top of the carriage at the end of its backward movement and in position to be swept by the brush upon the forward movement of the carriage, whereby bodies of one description are caught by the teeth and carried through the brush while bodies of another description are swept past the teeth and off the rear of the carriage, the bodies first carried under the brush being swept over the front end of the carriage on its backward movement.

CHARLES E. BARBEE. WILLARD P. BERGGREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 399,823 Blood Mar. 19, 1889 429,663 Thomas June 10, 1890 691,876 Scott Jan. 28, 1902 1,021,969 Cheney Apr. 2, 1912 1,213,896 Palmer Jan. 30, 1917 2,068,101 Freund Jan. 19, 1937 2,143,518 Kolin Jan. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 126,872 British May 26, 1924 

